My Beautiful Release
by Rosemarie Alanna Ann Belikov
Summary: My rewritten story, My Beautiful Release: Dimitri is a demon that was banished from hell long ago and one day stumbles across a young child. He is oddly drawn to the child and raises her as his own. As the years go on, Dimitri finds that his love for the child is changing.
1. Chapter 1

**The Year is 1901...**

"Oh come on, love, it would only be for tonight." The woman clinging to my arm tells me. The perfume she wears is overpowering, making me want to gag, but, that isn't as bad as the smell of alcohol on her breath. "You gotta help me, it's pouring out and I've nowhere to go! If you let me, I can repay you in whatever way you choose..."

The hand that isn't grasping my bicep makes a grab from my crotch and I quickly, but gently, push her off of me. "Ma'am, I'm very sorry that you have nowhere to go tonight, truly, but, you must understand that I cannot take you back to my home. Now, I'd happily give you some money so that you may go somewhere and—"

My words are cut off by the cry of a young child. I look away from the woman and towards where I heard the noise. I turn back around, prepared to give the woman some money for a night at an inn, but she has vanished. Seeing that she is no longer there, I make my way to the cry of the child. Only a block down do I find the abandoned basket, which contains a child no older than one. The rain, which has been pouring for the last twenty of so minutes, has soaked through the wool blanket that is wrapped around the infant. Without hesitation, I remove my coat, and wrap the young child, who I now discover to be a girl, in the fabric. With one hand I hold the little one and with the other I carry the basket that contained her. It doesn't take long for us to arrive at my home.

"Maxwell!" I call out, placing the basket by the now closed front door. Moments later my butler walks into the room. Astonishment crosses his features as he notices the girl in my arms. "I was on my way home when I heard her crying, she was abandoned and I couldn't just leave her there. Would you please go get some fresh blankets from the laundry room? I will be in my bathroom, drying her off, thank you."

With a nod, I make my way up the stairs and to the bathroom. Once in the room, I place the young girl down and remove the coat from around her. She's shivering and I fear she'll catch a cold from being out in the rain for so long. Not long after I begin to remove the water from her with towels, Maxwell comes into the room with the blankets.

"Thank you, Maxwell."

"Of course, sir."

Half an hour later, the young girl is wrapped in a warm blanket and asleep in my arms. She looks so peaceful, and somehow, in an odd way, this seems right.

"What do you plan to do about this, sir?" Maxwell asks me, standing in the entrance of my bedroom. "Should we take the child to the orphanage?"

I don't look away from the child. There is something about her that is so special. I can't pinpoint it, but I know that I can't send her away to an orphanage. "We shall keep her here and I shall raise her," I respond. "In the morning we will go get everything an infant requires, we will create a bedroom for her, and she shall live with us."

"But what about her parents?"

"They left her, Maxwell. She wasn't just lost, she was abandoned." I can't imagine why though. The girl yawns and opens her dark brown eyes. A small smile appears upon my face as I see her looking up at me. "She is mine now."

* * *

_(A/N: Hello everyone, I've decided that I would give this another try. I truly miss writing and hearing from all of you. It fills me with such joy to see how my stories have helped some of you or brought smiles to your faces. I thank those who have supported me and told me how much they've liked my stories, and I hope this will be a good start. Thank you again. -Alanna.)_


	2. Chapter 2

**The Year 1891…**

_The concrete beneath me is cold, wet from the rain that falls. I lift my head slightly and see a world that I have not been a part of for a long time, but, this time, I'm not aware of where I am exactly. While I am back in the human world, I am not in my homeland, Russia. I lift push myself up and rise to my feet. My knuckles are bloody and cracked and I ache everywhere. I haven't felt pain such as this since before I was turned. Humans have no power against me, not since the transformation, but I did not fight any human. I fought the devil himself and have now been banished to the world I once escaped. _

_For hours, I make my way through the streets, attempting to find any sort of shelter. Finally, I make my way to a low class inn and use my mind control abilities to get a room for the night. It turns out that I am in New York. As I lay in the bed, I try to collect my thoughts, try to figure out where to go from here. What should I do with my life now that I am no longer serving the Dark Prince himself? _

**The Year 1901…**

"What's her name?" The seamstress asks me as she measures the little one for her new clothing. While she is still young and will grow out of the garments before any of us know it, I still want to spoil her. I don't know why I have the urge to do so, but, when I see her smile, hear her laugh; I know that I would do anything for her.

"Her name is Rosemarie," I respond, walking over to the two as I do so. Rosemarie has begun to fuss, upset by having to stay still. Over the month that she has been living with me, I've learned that she is quite the active one. While she has not begun walking yet, her crawling skills are excellent. I pick her up and kiss her soft cheek.

"Beautiful. And I think I have enough for now, her dresses should be finished in a weeks' time. And if you like, I could begin preparations for other garments as she grows."

"That would be amazing, thank you, Maxwell will let you out."

After she leaves the room I take Rosemarie up to her nursery and set her on the carpet near her crib. The moment I release her she's making her way to one of her many toys. I smile and lean back against the wall. This entire arrangement is a rather odd one, in my mind anyway. When I was still human, all I wanted was a family. I wanted to find myself a bride and have as many children as possible, but, that opportunity was taken from me long ago. And now, I have this little girl before me. She is mine to raise as a daughter, and yet, I don't see her as such. She is not my child and I don't wish her to be. I don't understand what is happening in my mind, but I don't question it, there is no need as of now.

That night, after putting Rosemarie to bed, she began to cry. I wasn't sure what exactly she needed and after trying many options, I decided that I would just keep her with me for the night to make sure everything would be okay, make sure nothing would occur later. After making a safe place for her in the bed, she stopped crying and I got in besides her. We both fell asleep peacefully that night.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Year 1903…**

"No,"

"Rosemarie, eat your peas," I tell the now three year old girl as I sit across from her at the table.

"I don't want to."

"You don't have a choice, little one."

"Why do I have to eat them?" She asks, crossing her arms over her chest, pout on her face.

"You need to eat your peas so that you can grow up to be big and strong," I answer.

"I don't care; I still don't want to eat them!"

"Rosemarie, you will eat your peas, if not, you will go to bed tonight in your own room and will not have a bedtime story."

Rosemarie narrows her eyes and stares at me for a long moment. As cute as she is, I won't cave. After a long few minutes, she lets out an upset sound and begins to eat. I smile and walk over to her. After she finishes her peas, I pick Rose up and take her to her bedroom. After getting her ready for bed, the two of us go to my bedroom and lay down. She sits in my lap as I grab the storybook we've been reading from the nightstand.

Thankfully, Rosemarie fell asleep only a few minutes after I began reading. The past few nights she's been having issues sleeping. I'm not sure why, but I'm glad she's able to get through the night now. The moment I pick her up to lay her down in the bed, she awakens. With a sigh, I place her back in my lap and begin to read again. Two hours later, she's asleep again. This time, I don't bother moving her back onto the bed; I don't want to risk waking her again. She looks so peaceful in my arms. A little smile is on her face. I lean down and kiss her forehead, thinking about how lucky I am to have this little girl in my life.

The next morning, I have a sitter come to the house to watch Rosemarie while I go out for the day. As I put on my coat, prepared to exit the house and go to the car, I hear little footsteps going down the hallway. I turn my head and see Rosemarie coming up to me. I quickly pick her up into my arms and kiss her cheek.

"What is it, little one?"

"I don't want you to go, please don't go. Stay with me." She begs me, hands grabbing onto my hair.

"I have to go out, sweetheart; I have business to attend to." I see tears fill her eyes and it breaks my heart. "I don't want to leave you, angel, but I'll be back before either of us knows it. Now, Anita is going to take good care of you, you can trust her."

"But Dimka…"

As much as I want to stay and spend my day with her, I know that I can't. "I am so sorry, little one, Anita!"

"No!" Rosemarie yells, the tears starting to run down her cheeks. Anita walks into the room and after a struggle, takes Rosemarie from my arms. I want to stay for a moment more, tell her that I love her, but I know that if I do, I won't be able to leave her. After taking in a deep breath, I leave the house, hoping that she'll be okay when I come back home.

* * *

_(A/N, I'm sorry that chapters are so short, and promise that as time goes on they will get longer. Thank you for understanding.) _


	4. Chapter 4

**The Year 1905…**

"You are so beautiful, little one," I tell Rosemarie as she twirls around in her new dress. She giggles and looks up at me, curls bouncing as she bounces up and down from excitement.

"Thank you, Dimka."

"Are you excited for your first day at school?"

"Mhm! But I'm really going to miss you," she tells me with a small pout. I smile softly and walk up to her. I lift her into my arms.

"I'm going to miss you too, Roza," I tell her, kissing her cheek. "But you'll only be gone for a few hours and once you're home we can do whatever you want!"

She giggles and kisses the tip of my nose. "Okay."

"Okay, now, let's go, shall we?"

The ride to Rosemarie's school didn't take too long; I made sure that she wouldn't be too far from me. When I went to drop her off, Rosemarie made sure that I went into the classroom with her. After sitting her down at her desk and kissing her forehead, I started to make my way to the door. I didn't get too far before I left little arms wrap around my leg. Looking down, I see little Rose looking up at me. I smile at how precious she looks and I pick her up.

"Roza, I know this is going to be hard for you, it's going to be hard for me too. Believe me, I don't want to leave you here, but I need too. You need to socialize with other children." Rosemarie doesn't respond, wrapping her arms around my neck. I place my hand against her back and hold her close to me, saddened that I have to let her go.

"Hello there," I look up at the woman who approaches Rosemarie and I. The teacher before me can't be much older than twenty-six and she looks gentle. She's pretty, I will admit that much, but she isn't as pretty as my little Roza.

"Hell ma'am," I respond.

"What's this little girl's name?" She asks me, motioning towards Rose. I look down at Rose and lean down to her hear.

"Why don't you tell her your name?" I ask softly. Rosemarie turns her head towards the woman and watches her for a moment before shaking her head no. I kiss her forehead. "This is Rosemarie."

She smiles, "Hello Rosemarie, it's very nice to meet you. And what is your name, sir?"

"My name is Dimitri, and yours?"

"My name is Elise, and I promise that I will take great care of your daughter."

"Oh, she isn't my daughter," I quickly respond. "There was an incident with her parents and I now have custody of her."

"Oh, well, either way, I promise to take great care of her." I set Rosemarie down and she looks up at me with big, wet brown eyes.

"I'll see you soon, sweetie." She blinks away tears and then slowly turns away, making her way back to her desk. A small sigh leaves me and I say goodbye to Elise before leaving the classroom.


	5. Chapter 5

**The Year 1905…**

After Rosemarie's first school day ends, I happily make my way back to her classroom, excited to take her home and spend the rest of the day with her. When I walk into the classroom, I look around for Rosemarie, smile on my face. It slowly disappears when I see Rosemarie sitting besides this little boy. I watch the two of them, laughing as they talk and color. After a moment of watching, I walk over to the two.

"Hello Roza," I say, crouching down besides her.

"Dimka!" She shouts, grin on her face s she hugs me. I hug her back tightly and never want to let go, but have to when she pulls back from me.

"Are you ready to go home, little one?"

"Not yet, I want to spend a little more time with Christian. Can I?" She asks, smiling up at me. I look down at the little boy besides her. His hair is the darkest shade of black and his eyes are the clearest shade of blue.

Suddenly my mind begins to wander. I know that this little boy is going to grow up to be handsome young man. And I also know that Rosemarie will grow into a beautiful young woman. I hate where my mind starts to go. It begins to wonder if they will continue being friends during that time, if she'll fall in love with him and him for her. I don't like the thought.

"We really should be going, Rosemarie,"

"Christian," I look up and see a woman with Christian's features walking up to him. He looks up at her and smiles as she kneels down. "How was your day, sweetie?"

"It's been great! This is Rosemarie," he says, looking at my little one. The woman looks at her and smiles.

"Hello Rosemarie," she says. Rose looks back at her and smiles. The woman's eyes peer up at me and she stands back up. "And hello sir,"

"Hello miss," I respond.

"Are you Rose's father?"

"Oh, no, I'm just her guardian. Are you Christian's mother?"

"No, no, I'm his aunt, Tasha." She looks down at him, making sure he's not paying much attention and then back up at me. "His parents passed a short time after he was born."

"I'm so sorry," I tell her.

"It's alright; it was a long time ago."

I nod, "Well, it was great to meet you both, but Rosemarie and I really should be getting home."

"The same with Christian and I, maybe we will see each other again," she tells me with a smile, taking Christian's hand.

"Perhaps we will," I respond, lifting Rosemarie into my arms. After saying goodbye, I take Rosemarie to the car and we make our way back home.

"Do you think Christian and I could spend time together outside of school?" She asks me, playing with the fabric of her dress. I look at her and then back out the windshield.

"We'll see Rosemarie, we'll see."


	6. Chapter 6

**The Year 1906…**

"She's going to be very beautiful when she grows up," Tasha tells me as we watch the children playing on the playground equipment.

"She will," I respond, smiling as I see her running across the grass. The light blue fabric of her dress flutters through the air, just like her long dark hair.

"So…" Tasha starts, looking down at her hands as they sit in her lap. "Is there anyone special in your life?"

I look over at her. "What do you mean?"

"A woman." She answers.

"Oh," I look back at Rosemarie. "No, the only girl in my life is my Roza."

"Ah, alright."

"Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering," she answers. The two of us are quiet for a moment. "Actually, I know that it's not common for the woman to ask this, but, I was wondering if you would like to go out sometime, without the children."

"Oh," I answer, turning towards Tasha once more. "Tasha, I'm not quite sure if that is a good idea right now. I mean, I'm so busy with raising Rosemarie. I'm doing this alone and want to make sure I do everything right, I don't want to miss anything in her life."

"I understand," Tasha responds, cheeks turning a light shade of red. She stands from the bench. "Christian!"

The two children stop running and come over to us. Tasha tells Christian that it's time to go, that they have dinner with a friend of hers soon. Rosemarie and Christian say goodbye and hug then we go our separate ways.

Not long after we get back home, Maxwell tells us that dinner is ready. Rosemarie and us go to the dining room and start to eat. Not long after we begin, do we hear the doorbell go off. Rosemarie and I look at one another and wait for Maxwell to come inside and tell us who it is, which he does moments later.

"Sir, a man who claims to be an old friend of yours has arrived."

"Thank you, Maxwell," I tell him, rising from my seat, wondering who it is. "I'll be right back, Rosemarie."

"Okay," she answers, continuing to eat her dinner. I walk to the foyer and stop the moment I see him.

"Oh my God," I stop in my tracks as I see him. My best friend, Ivan, stands before me. Ivan and I first met when we were teenagers and continued into our immortal life together.

My blue eyed, blonde haired friend smiles at me. "Hello Dimitri."

"Ivan, what are you doing here… how are you here?"

He smiles. "That is a very long story my dear friend, one I will be happy to explain later, but first, I think you have someone to introduce me too."

I notice Ivan looking behind me and I turn around. Rosemarie stands in the doorway, a curious look on her face, a little smile upon her lips. She looks up at me, as if asking if she can comes into the room. I smile and stick out my hand. Her smile grows and she comes into the room. Her hand takes mine and I lift her into my arms.

"Rosemarie, this is Ivan, and Ivan, this is Rosemarie, my little angel."


	7. Chapter 7

**The Year 1906…**

"So, she's your daughter now?" Ivan asks after I put Rosemarie down for bed in my room.

"No, she's not a daughter to me, she's just… I don't exactly know. I think about it sometimes, try to figure out what's going on inside of my mind, but I can't do it."

"Hmm," Ivan says as we go down to the bar room. I pour us some vodka and slide the glass to him. He thanks me and goes to sit down in one of the chairs. After putting away the bottle, I follow.

"Anyway, tell me what happened, how are you here?"

"After you were banished, I tried to follow, but Lucifer kept his leash on me tight… literally. I tried to fight him, tried to get free, but I couldn't. For years I was kept prisoner by him. I don't know why he kept me there, I wasn't working anymore. I guess he just did it to punish you in a way, do it through me maybe, get out his anger towards losing his right hand man. It took me a long time, a lot of planning, but eventually I was able to escape, with the help of some friends. That was a year ago. I spent that time trying to find you, trying to get my life back together. Around a month ago, I got on a trail that led me here. Dimitri, it's so great to see you again."

I smile. "The same to you, my friend, and Ivan, I am so sorry about what Lucifer did to you. Years in hell are so much longer then human years… that must have been horrible."

"Oh, it was, but I've gone through worse. We both have." I nod in agreement and take a long drink.

**A Month Later…**

"How do I look, Dimka?" Rosemarie asks as she walks into the room. Her dark blue dress compliments her porcelain skin and light pink lips. Her hair is perfectly curled and falls against her back.

"Gorgeous, my darling, now, why don't you go sit down where I showed you last night?"

"Okay," she smiles and makes her way over to the chair which is placed before the painter who will do Rosemarie's portrait. As she gets comfortable and repositioned by the artist, I go to my office and grab the box which contains her new gift. When I go back downstairs, I see that Rosemarie has already begun to get anxious, not enjoying the fact that she'll have to sit for so long. When she sees me, she smiles and tries to get up from the chair. The artist stops her, saying she's perfectly positioned. She pouts just a little bit, not enjoying being told what to do by anyone other than me. Even with me she has issues.

"I got you something, Roza."

"What is it?" She asks with excitement in her voice. I hand her the box and she quickly opens it. "Oh Dimka, it's beautiful."

I smile as she examines the porcelain doll in her arms. The doll is thin and very gracefully designed, her eyes are a dark emerald color, and her hair is a pale blonde. She's dressed in a gown that matches the color of her eyes.

"She's beautiful, thank you so much."

"Of course, little one," I kiss her cheek. "What do you want to name her?"

"Hmm, I don't know, I'll think about it." She says with a smile.

"Perfect, would you like to hold her while you get your painting done?"

"Yes please," she says, positioning the doll in her lap.

"Now remember, Roza, you have to stay still. If you feel your getting anxious, just look at me and I will do my best to distract you."

"Okay," Rosemarie smiles up at me and kisses my cheek. I kiss her back and walk over to the chair behind the painter. She's so beautiful and is growing up so fast. She'll be fully grown before I know it.


	8. Chapter 8

**The 1913…**

"Christian, Tasha, it's great to see you both," I tell them as they walk into the house. Maxwell takes both their coats.

"It's great to see you too, Dimitri, where's Rose?" Christian asks with a smile, holding his gift for her in his hands.

"She's in the sitting room," I respond with a small smile. He thanks me and makes his way to her. Once he's gone Tasha steps closer to me and hugs me tightly. I return the hug and make it as quick as possible. I know that Tasha has an interest in me. I've known since the first day we met. Whenever Rosemarie and Christian spend time together, Tasha attempts to find a way to add herself into the day. I see the way she flirts with me, I know all of her little tricks, but I try my best to politely shut them down. I truly don't have an interest in her, nor any woman for that matter.

Once I get the chance, I take Tasha to the sitting room so that we can be with the children. Well, they are no longer children; they're just now breaking into their teen years. Today we're celebrating Rosemarie's thirteenth birthday.

When I walk into the room, I feel a little pang of jealously in my stomach as I see Christian and Rose sitting on the couch with one another. She's leaning against him, hand placed against his knee as he fixes the pink ribbon in her hair. Once they notice we've come into the room they quickly move away from one another.

"Hello Rose," Tasha says, sitting down across from the two.

"Hi Tasha,"

"Have you opened the gift from Christian?" Tasha asks before looking over at me, as if questioning why I haven't sat down yet. After Rosemarie takes the gift from the table, I sit down in the last empty chair. I try not to notice the hurt look Tasha is trying to hide.

"Oh Christian, it's so beautiful." Rosemarie says, taking out the jeweled comb. "Thank you so much."

She leans over and kisses Christian on the cheek. A light blush goes over his cheeks and he smiles, leaning over to wrap his arms around her. "You're welcome, Rose."

Before I do anything that I really shouldn't, I move from my seat and make my way to the garden in the backyard. I walk up to the bench surrounded by roses and the moment I sit down; I know that Tasha has followed me without having to look up.

"You left the room rather quickly," she says, sitting down beside me.

"Yes, sorry, I felt myself getting rather light headed and needed some fresh air."

"Ah, understood. Rose and Christian look very cute together, don't you agree?" The jealously from before appears once more and I take in a deep breath.

"That's not really what I think when I look at them," I respond, wrapping my fingers around the edge of the bench.

"Oh, well, I think they would make an adorable couple."

I don't respond. I don't have anything kind to say about the situation. When I think that I should go back into the house, make sure the two teenagers inside are acting appropriately, I feel Tasha's hand move against my cheek. Before I can stop her, she turns my head towards hers and presses her lips against my own. Shock moves through me, making me freeze up. The moment I can, I quickly pull apart from her and stand from the bench.

"I have to go," I tell her, turning back to the house. When I look up, I freeze once more when I see Rosemarie standing in the doorway, watching the two of us. Her eyes are wide, lips parted just a bit. I open my mouth to say something, but before I can, Rosemarie has turned, making her way back into the house. "Tasha, I think you and Christian should go home."

I make my way into my home and see Christian standing in the sitting room, Rosemarie nowhere in sight. "Christian, where's Rose?"

"She said she was going to her bedroom. She looked upset. What happened?"

I sigh and run my hands through my hair. My thoughts are all over the place. I hate that Rosemarie saw Tasha kissing me. I hate the look that was on her face. I don't know why she looked so upset… I don't know why I'm so upset...

"Christian, thank you for coming today and for the comb, but I think it's time you and your aunt go. Have a goodnight." Before Christian can speak, I quickly make my way up the stairs and to Rosemarie's bedroom. When I try to enter I find that the door has been locked. This is something that Rosemarie has never done before. "Rosemarie, sweetheart, let me in. Please."

When I get no response, I know that she won't be coming out for some time. I close my eyes for a long moment, wishing that I had pulled away from the kiss quicker; maybe she wouldn't have reacted as badly then.

"I'm sorry, Roza," I whisper before going back to my bedroom.


	9. Chapter 9

**The Year 1913…**

My eyes open when a light falls across my face. I lift my head slightly and see Rosemarie standing in the doorway. She lightly steps into the room and closes the door behind her, causing darkness to fall once more. I lean over and turn the lamp on the night table on. She walks to the end of the bed, hands clasped in front of her. Her light pink nightgown cascades down her body and clings to her growing curves. The long locks of her silk hair fall over her shoulders, covering her developing breasts.

"May I sleep with you tonight, Dimka?"

"Of course, Roza," I respond, giving her a small smile. She doesn't return it as she gets into the bed next to me. For a few minutes she just lays besides me, but it doesn't take long for her to roll over. She wraps her arm around my waist and rests her head against my chest. When I know she's relaxed, I begin to stroke her back and kiss her forehead. "Rosemarie, I'm so sorry about what you saw earlier."

"I don't want to talk about it," she responds.

"Rosemarie, honey, we have to talk about this."

"No,"

"Fine, you don't have to talk, but I do." I place my other hand against her chin and push her head up softly so that she's looking up at me. "Roza, I did not initiate the kiss between Tasha and me, I did not want to kiss her."

"Dimitri, please, I don't want to talk about this right now, okay?"

"Why? Why don't you want to speak about this, Rose?"

She pushes herself up. "I don't want to talk about this because I don't know why I feel the way I do. I don't know why I reacted the way I did towards what happened." I stare at her for a long moment.

"How do you feel Rosemarie?" Without answering, Rosemarie begins to move from the bed. Before she can get away, I grab her by her waist and pull her against me. She struggles against my body, but I don't let her leave. Once she's tried out, or knows that she won't have the chance to get away, she quits fighting me.

Neither of us speaks. Minutes pass. Then hours. Finally, around two, I feel her body relax against mine. With a relieved sigh, I loosen my grip on her and begin to stroke her back once again.


	10. Chapter 10

**The Year 1915…**

I often think back to the day that Tasha kissed me. Not because of the kiss, but of what came after. That night I held Rosemarie in my arms and thought about everything I ever felt towards her. I knew that I was starting to feel romantically towards her and I tried to shut down those feelings as soon as possible. It just isn't right. I raised Rosemarie. No, I've never considered myself a father to her, nor do I want her to consider me that way, but it just shouldn't be. When Rosemarie woke up she instantly went to her room and when she came back out we acted as if the events from the day before never happened.

It is now two years later. Rosemarie is now fifteen and as beautiful as ever. Every day is a battle that I don't always win. I attempt to not see her as a person of interest for me, but, when I see her I can't help but imagine her in my arms, her lips against mine.

"Rose, I'm going to go grab a bag to put the apples in," I tell her. She acknowledges my words with a nod and I leave the produce section of the little grocery store we're in. After getting the bag, I walk back to the section, only to find that Rose has vanished. A small amount of fear runs through me. It's not like Rosemarie to go somewhere without telling me, but this is a store, so hopefully she's just gone to another area inside.

Without getting the apples, I leave the section once again and start looking for Rose. After a few minutes of looking, I stop walking and take a deep breath. I focus my hearing and begin to search for Rose's voice. I find her almost instantly. I go to where I heard her voice, which is back through one of the doors in the back. When I walk through, I see Rose sitting on a crate besides a red headed boy who is wearing an apron. They don't realize that I'm watching and continue speaking with one another.

"I can't believe you haven't been going to school anymore, Mason." Rose tells him, taking his hands in her own. "I'm so sorry that you had to stop."

"It's alright, Rose, I did what I had to do. My mothers' condition has gotten worse and my father can't afford to take care of the family by himself anymore. My family comes before my education. But anyway, why did you stop going? You left before I did."

"Oh, I'm still getting schooling. Dimitri just decided that I should be tutored privately." After she says my name, I speak up.

"Rosemarie,"

The two teenagers quickly separate and rise from the crates. Rose brushes down the purple fabric of her dress and smiles at me. "Dimitri, this is Mason, we used to go to school together."

"Hello," I say, voice emotionless.

"Hello Dimitri," Mason says, hands wrapping over his chest. "You look like you haven't aged a day. When did we last see each other? Two, three years ago?"

"Two," I answer, remembering the last time I ever took Rose to school before starting her tutoring at him.

"Huh. Actually, you look like you haven't aged since we were kids…" Rose furrows her eyebrows, looking down at the ground.

"Rosemarie, I think it's time we go. Say goodbye to your friend." She looks back up and nods before turning to Mason and hugging him.

"It was great seeing you, Mason."

"The same to you, Rose," Mason leans towards her and presses his lips against her cheek. "I hope to see you again."

"Maybe you will," she responds before walking over to me. Without removing my eyes from Mason, I take Rose's hand and lead her from the store. We both stay silent during the drive back home, but, the moment we walk into the house, Rosemarie speaks up. "Why haven't you aged?"

"That doesn't matter Rosemarie,"

"Yes, it does! Why do you still look the way you do? You look like you did in the paintings that were done when I was a child. It doesn't make any sense!"

"Rosemarie! Stop this, go to your room, we'll speak later." I remove my coat and start making my way to my bedroom.

"Why?" She questions. "Why are you punishing me? Is it because I'm questioning you or because I spoke with Mason? We weren't doing anything!"

"No, you weren't, but you didn't see the way he looked at you!" I shout, losing my temper. Rose's eyes grow large and she takes a step back. The moment I see the shocked look upon her face, I lose the anger that filled me. Before I can speak, apologize to her, she rushes past me. I run my hands through my hair, wondering what the hell I'm going to do now.


	11. Chapter 11

**The Year 1871...**

"_Mama! Viktoria!" I shout, running through the burning house. "Fuck!"_

_A large part of the ceiling falls, knocking me onto my back. I scream in pain, feeling pain running through my body. Blood spurts from my mouth as I cough, lungs filling with smoke. As time goes on, I feel my mind begin to cloud; the pain begins to leave my body. My life begins to flash before my eyes. I see the time I tripped chasing my older sister, Karoline, when she took one of my books to mess with me. I see the time I threw my abusive father out of the house. I see the first time I kissed a girl, made love. _

"_Dimitri!" My name rings through my head and I feel a weight being lifted from my chest. I somehow manage to open my eyes and see Ivan standing over me. I can't speak as he lifts me from the ground, throws me over his shoulder and takes me from the house. I cough again as he drops me against the ground feet away from the home I grew up in. "Oh my God, Dimitri… what happened?"_

**The Year 1915…**

I hate having that dream. The dream is a memory, the memory that changed everything. That was the night my family died; the night Ivan and I met the devil. After Ivan took me from the house, I blacked out. When I woke up, I was in a bed in a room that I had never been in. Only moments after I woke up, someone walked into the room. He was suave, graceful. He was the devil. Lucifer.

He gave me an offer. My soul, for my families lives. They died in the fire and I couldn't stand the thought of that. I instantly took the offer and my family was brought back, the catch, I could never see them again. And I haven't. I miss them every day of my life. Ivan was with me when I took the devils offer and he took one of his own. Ivan sold his soul to Lucifer to stay with me and make sure his own family was always protected as well.

I was twenty one when all of that happened. I don't know what to tell Rosemarie about all of this, why I haven't aged at all. While I still look twenty one, I was actually fifty one when I found Rosemarie that night. I am now sixty six. She'll never believe me. How could she?


	12. Chapter 12

**The Year 1915…**

It's been a month since the incident about my age. Rosemarie has brought it up a few times but I've managed to dance around it. I know that she won't drop it, but I will do my best to put it off.

It's just about six when I get back from my walk at the park. I often go there and walk when I need time to think. The past few nights I've been thinking about what to tell Rose. I have nothing yet and likely won't for some time. The first thing I do when I get home is go up to my bedroom. I drop my coat on the bed and sit down on the edge of my bed. I run my hands through my hair and sigh. I wish I could talk with my mother right now. She would know what to do.

I need to see Rose. I get up from the bed and make my way to her room. After standing outside of her door for a few long moments, I slowly open the door, not wanting to disrupt her if she's busy with the school work she should be doing. When I look into the room, my breath is taken away by what I see. A bit of guilt runs through me as I see her, but, the main thing I feel is arousal.

Rosemarie is in bed, lying on her back. Her skirt is hiked up, exposing her smooth thighs. I can't see all of her due to how her bed is positioned, meaning all I can see is the side of her body. But, I don't have to see anymore to know where her hand is placed. Rose's eyes are closed and I hear a moan leave her lips. I can't help but continue to watch her pleasure herself, but, the moment I see her lift her hips, I pull myself away and quietly close the door.

While walking back to my room, I cross Maxwell and inform him that I would not be coming to dinner. When I got into my room, I locked the door and started up a bath for myself. I spent most of my night in the bath, wondering what would have happened had I not gone back to my room, what would have happened if I did go into the room. I had to stop, because if I had continued, I would have gone back to her.

**The Next Morning…**

"_Roza?" I ask, opening my eyes. I push myself up and turn on the lamp. My eyes grow wide as I see her sitting on the side of my bed, dressed in her blush colored silk robe. "What are you doing?"_

"_I know you saw me earlier, in my room, touching myself," she tells me gingerly. _

"_Oh Rose, I'm so sorry that I watched you." I tell her, reaching out to touch her exposed knee. _

"_I'm not upset that you did," she responds, placing her hand against my own. I notice her slowly starting to move my hand up from her knee. I look up from our hands and into her eyes, which stare back into mine, as if questioning her actions, asking me if she should stop. I don't want her to stop. I know that I should stop her, but I just can't make myself do it. My hand ends up at the top of her thigh and she then pulls her own back. My eyes flash down again as Rose adjusts, legs separating just a bit. "Do you want this, Dimka?" _

_I don't respond to her. I can't respond to her. My lips can't move, but my hand apparently can. I don't will it to, but I'm not going to stop it. My hand slowly starts to run between her thighs. Rose leans towards me and I towards her. My hand brushes over her underwear and a light breath leaves her lips. _

"_Kiss me," she says, nearly a whisper. _

"_Yes, Roza," _

And then I woke up.


	13. Chapter 13

**Early 1916…**

It's been three months since I dreamt about Rose and I not once brought up the dream and that I saw her touching herself that night. It's early March, the exact day that I found her just sixteen years ago. It's currently five in the morning and I'm sitting on the edge of her bed. Usually Rose doesn't enjoy waking up early, but this is a tradition for us. Ever since Rose was a little girl, we've woken up early and spent every minute of the day together. I already have everything planned out for the two of us, starting with waking her up.

"Happy Birthday Roza," I softly say as caress her cheek. Rosemarie's eyes slowly open and the corners of her lips turn up.

"Thank you, Dimka," she says, reaching out, placing her hand against my cheek gently.

"Are you excited to finally be sixteen?"

"Mhm," Rose leans up and grabs my shoulders. I smile as she pulls me beside her and wraps her arm over my body. I wrap my arms around her and kiss the top of her head. "I've missed you the past few days."

"I know Roza, I've missed you too." I've spent the last four days with Ivan. Ever since he came back into my life we've tried to send as much time as possible together, but it was always hard when Rose was younger. Now that she's older we've been able to do more together. The last few days we've been acting like we did when we were a younger, human, which means spending a lot of time out at bars. Ivan tries to pick up women to take home to his apartment and I just watch. Many women approach and I always shut them down. Ivan has always questioned this, wondering why, over the many years, I've never spent a night with a woman. I simply told him that I didn't have an interest. He knew I was lying but didn't push it.

"So, what do we have planned for today?"

"First, we're going to have your favorite breakfast and then I'm going to give you your brand new dress." She smiles and kisses my cheek. "Christian will be coming over for a short time and afterwards, we will do whatever you wish."

"You spoil me," she says with a small giggle.

"You deserve it, little one."


	14. Chapter 14

**The Year 1916…**

I'm starting to get restless just sitting here in my office reading while Rose and Christian are downstairs do who knows what. I know that Rose doesn't have an interest in him like that, but I still can't help but imagine what scares me most: Rose being with someone else. I close my book and leave my office, heading down to the sitting room where the two are.

When I step into the sitting room, I see Rosemarie and Christian sitting on the floor, a book placed between them. I step into the room and instantly notice the script placed upon the pages. It's a spell book. "What are you two doing?"

Rose and Christian jump, shocked by my sudden words in the near silence. Christian slams the book closed and they quickly stand up. I walk further into the room as Christian attempts to speak. I kneel down and lift the book into my arms. I look up at the two, face stern.

"Spells, I can't believe you two."

"Dimitri we weren't doing anything bad," Rose tells me, worry in her voice.

"Do you two know how dangers this is? What hell you could unleash? What spell were you even trying to do?"

"I don't know exactly how to pronounce it," Christian tells me, avoiding looking into my eyes. I step forward and press the book against his chest.

"Show me," I order, tone harsher then I intended.

"Dimka," Rose says with slight shock in her tone. I look towards her and relax my face. I rarely every raise my voice towards her, I hate doing so, but I just can't help it this time."

"Rosemarie, I'm sorry, but what you are doing can really hurt you."

"Here you go," Christian says, handing the book back to me. I look down and read what the spell is called. I recognize it.

"The soul mate spell," I murmur. "Why do you two want to do this?"

"I just thought it would be interesting," Christian answers. "If it works, that would be amazing. I would know who the woman I should be with is; I wouldn't have to waste time looking when I get older."

I look at Rose. "And you?"

"I just… I need to know who it is." She tells me, voice timid. Her cheeks heat up and she looks down at her hands. "I'm sorry we tried to do this."

I watch the two of them for a long time. As time goes on, they become more and more anxious, not knowing if I'll give them any consequences. "Christian, there are some unused candles in the kitchen. I need you to get six candles for us, three white and three red. Rose, I need you to go upstairs to my office and look in the bottom right drawer. Inside, you will find that there is a false bottom to it. There is a small string around one of the edges, pull it and inside you will find a dagger. Don't question why I have it. Once we have those, we can begin."


	15. Chapter 15

**The Year 1916…**

A small hiss leaves Christian as I cut his palm. Once I remove the dagger from his hand, he moves it over the white candle, allowing the blood to drip onto it. After a good amount is on the candle, I take his hand and wrap it with a cloth. Rose puts her hand out and I take it in my grasp.

"I'm so sorry, little one," I whisper, placing the dagger against her soft skin. In a quick motion I dig the blade lightly into her skin and quickly make the cut. She doesn't make any noise, but I can tell it hurts by the look upon her face. Rose moves her hand over the candle and once she's finished I wrap her hand. I hand the dagger to Christian and he cuts my palm. After I'm finished, I place the dagger in the middle of the little circle we sit in.

"Alright, now we light both of the candles." I hand the two of them matches and take one for myself. The three of us light the candles and once we put out the matches, we place them next to the dagger. "

"What do we have to do now?" Rose asks me.

"We have to put our hand over the flame, the one with the cut. This is going to hurt, I'm sorry, but it will. You put your hand over the red candle and keep it there until the blood that is on the white candle becomes one with the wax."

"What do you mean?" Christian asks, looking at the candles placed before him.

"The blood will appear to have soaked into the candle." I answer. "Now, I'll go first."

The two teens watch me as I remove the cloth from my hand and move it over the red candles flame. The flame hurts, but I've been through far worse. When we see that the blood has gone into the candle, I pull my hand from the flame.

"Now what?" Rose asks me, looking at the burn on my hand.

"Look at the candle," I tell the two of them. "The exact spots where the red from the blood is on the white candle, is turning white on the red candle, this means that the spell has found your true soul mate. The spell says that once that happens, when you first look at the person you are meant to be with, there will be a white aura around them. For some it takes time to find the one, it could take years; it all depends on when you have contact with that person."

"Do you think you know her already?" Christian asks me. I look away from the candle and up at him. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a light. Quickly I turn to Rose and stare at her and the white aura that surrounds her.

It all makes sense now. If I didn't find Rose that night so long ago, she would have died; there is no question about it. I was meant to find her there so I could save her. Save my soul mate. This is why I never felt fatherly towards her, because I was meant to be with her.

"What?" Rose asks me, taking me out of my trance.

"Nothing, I'm sorry. Christian, are you ready for your turn?" I ask, turning away from her.

"Yes," he answers, removing the cloth from his hand. With a deep breath, Christian moves his hand over the flame and cringes when it begins to singe his skin. "Fuck this hurts."

"I know it does, but you can do it." He nods and it takes longer for his candle to change. I almost thought he wouldn't be able to make it through the change. "Good, now, the moment you see her next, you'll see the glowing aura around her."

"Are you sure?" Christian asks, looking past me.

"Yes, I'm positive. Why?" A concerned look covers his face. I turn around to see what he's staring at and see that there is nothing behind me but a chair, a painting, and the doll I got for Rosemarie when she was a little girl.

"What's going on, Christian?" Rose asks him. I look back at him, wondering the same thing.

"I… I see the aura."

"That's impossible," I tell him. "There's no one else in the room but Rose and I."

"It's not around someone; it's around the doll…"

"I don't understand, what's going on?" Rose asks placing her hand against my thigh. I don't respond, not knowing what to say. Christian jumps from his place on the ground and rushes over to the doll that Rose named Lissa. He picks her up and looks back at the two of us.

"I don't get it, why am I seeing it around her?"

"Christian… I have no idea, I'm sorry." I say, not knowing what else to do.

"Does this mean I don't have a soul mate? Am I going to be alone? Oh God, I… I have to go." He tells us, quickly running out of the room.

"Christian!" Rose yells, trying to go after him. Before she can get up, I grab her arm and pull her back down. "Dimitri, I need to talk to him!"

"No Rose, there's no point, he needs to calm down. Nothing you say can help him right now." With a disappointed look she nods and stares down at the candles. After a long moment of silence, I speak. "Would you like to take your turn?"

With saying a word, Rosemarie nods and puts her hand over the candles flame. A gasp leaves her and I quickly move closer to her. I wrap an arm around her and kiss her temple, telling her that it'll be okay, that it won't take long. Thankfully, Rose's candle changed quicker then both mine and Christians. Pulling her hand back, she lets out a relieved sigh.

"That hurt so damn…" She trails off, looking up at me. "Oh my God."

A small smile moves over my face and I place my free hand against her cheek. A single tear falls down her cheek. "I love you, my Roza."


End file.
